Wanderlust
by Cloud-Dancer103
Summary: If Leonardo thought he was going to get a lot of leadership training done in Central America then he's got another thing coming. There's a whole new adventure of poachers, drug lords, and a very distracting 'patasola' waiting for him there. Leo is not the only legend in the jungle forests, in fact she was there long before he was. Is the jungle even big enough for two living myths?


**My head is overflowing with ideas for this one. YAY! Really I should be writing for my transformers fics and studying for finals but… eh (-.-'). So this will be a romance with Leo that take place while he's training in Central America in the 2007 movie. AH! Romance in the jungle! C'est tres bon! I have a romance for Donnie also on my profile if anyone is interested. Remember to read review and enjoy! **

**Note: There is mention of a Central American legend called a patasola. It is basically a one legged lady vampire that can look like a beautiful woman. It is a protector of the forest and has been blamed for the disappearances of hunters in the forest. HOWEVER THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT THIS IS A VAMPIRE FIC! BECAUSE IT IS NOT! The 'patasola' is in fact a human. It's really just a play on how people see what they want to. To know more about patasola's and other central American myths look it up on Wikipedia or your favorite monster info site. Enjoy!**

* * *

Within the darkened baggage hold of a certain commercial airplane the various trunks and travel bags rattled incessantly due to turbulence. Had anyone been there to hear it they may have heard the pained grunt that sounded when a particularly large backpack fell. There was an unintelligible grumble as the bag was roughly tossed aside and a green and blue figure sat back down. Leonardo sighed as he settled back down against a softer stack of luggage.

The six-foot tall turtle closed his steel gray eyes and tried to sleep or at the very least rest his eyes for a short while. He had rested very little during the long flight, and the nap he had taken hadn't refreshed him very much. In truth Leo was nervous about being on his own, and worried about the family he was leaving behind. It had been unexpected when Master Splinter had told him that he was sending him on a training expedition. However it was nothing compared to his brothers reactions.

* * *

_"WHAT?!"_

_The three part outburst from their master's announcement was more expected than what their Sensei had just said. Splinter was the only who seemed even remotely calm, though his ears were pinned back at the sudden assault on his more sensitive hearing. Leo was the only turtle who hadn't surged to his feet at Splinter's words._

_"What the shell d'ya mean Leo's leavin'?" Raphael growled with clenched fists and an aggressive stance. Mikey tried to lighten the sudden tension with his usual lighthearted banter. _

_"When you say he's leaving… you don't mean he's just going around the corner for pizza pick-up do you?" Mikey tried to chuckle lightly but his grin quickly faded no one so much as cracked a smile, and Donnie smacked the back of his head. _

_"I mean what I have said my sons. Leonardo shall be leaving us to further his training and himself as a leader."_

_There was a long moment of silence in which the three younger turtles tried to absorb the full impact of what this would mean. Leo stared at his knees and remained silent, unwilling to look up and meet his brother's gaze._

_"What about the rest of us? Our patrols? We can't go out to fight crime without Leo, it would be like trying to fight without a head." Donny muttered half to himself, still slightly shocked at the news._

_Splinter sighed before replying._

_"The rest of you must learn how to guide yourselves, to be individuals and still be able function as a family and a group. However you are right Donatello, it would be foolish to fight without a leader among you, and you three are not yet ready to do so. So until either I determine you three ready to do so or Leonardo returns from his training, you will not be going above to fight."_

_"What? But Master Splinter-" Raph tried to argue but was quickly cut off with a stern look._

_"No Raphael. This is my final word on the matter, and should I discover you disobey me the punishment will be much harsher than a few flips and chores. Do you understand?"_

_Raph opened his mouth to argue further but snapped it closed again at the warning glint in the elder rat's eyes._

_"I understand." Raph muttered through gritted teeth, and though his head was bowed in compliance Leo could see the angry, defiant flash in his amber eyes. _

_"Leo? Are you really ok with leaving?"_

_Leo looked up at Mikey's question. Splinter had talked this decision over with Leo beforehand, and while The blue masked turtle was unsure, he knew that this was something he wanted. He wanted to be a better leader, to be able to protect his family better. If he had to leave to learn how to do so then he was more than willing._

_"Ya Mikey, I want this." Leo said with a smile._

_Mikey's face fell but nodded in understanding while Donny seemed resigned. Raph on the other hand glared venomously at his elder brother._

_"Ya know what? Fine. You wanna leave us all so bad Leo? Then go right ahead! See if I care."_

_Raph stormed out of the dojo, slamming the paper door out of his way so hard it nearly breaks and rips the delicate rice paper. Mikey stared after him and gives Leo a sad half smile._

_"I'm gunna go see if I can calm him down."_

_With a quick bow to Splinter and a pat on Leo's shoulder Mikey went after his hotheaded brother._

_Splinter sighed deeply as his youngest and second oldest left. He had known that Leo's departure would cause a few problems. He hoped this would give all his sons the chance to grow, however change was the herald to growing. It was necessary for Leo to leave the comfort of his home and family and discover his own path. Splinter merely hoped that whatever changes were coming that they would be for the better. Donny shook his head at his older brothers' display of temper before turning to Leo._

_"Any idea where you may be going? Or when?"_

_"I was thinking Central America. It's isolated and remote enough I should be able to move around and travel freely without needing to worry about being seen. I was planning on leaving once dark falls and I can sneak onto the next flight at the airport."_

_Donny nodded solemnly with an uncharacteristic frown that he was trying hard not to show._

_"Well that's… good… I mean." The purple banded turtle gave up and with a frustrated exhale grabbed his elder brother in a quick hug. After a moment or two Donny grabbed Leo by his shoulders and held him at arm's length with a serious look._

_"You'll take care of yourself won't you? Write and contact us should anything bad happen, you promise?"_

_"Of course Donny, so long as you promise to look after Mikey and Raph for me. Especially Raph. I've got a feeling he's not going to take all of this very well." Leo shot the door of the dojo a worried look. Splinter rose from his meditation mat and approached with a soft tap of his cane._

_"Worry not Leonardo, we shall be fine. Concentrate on your training so you may return to us stronger than before, and quickly."_

_Leo bowed with a smile, knowing that Splinter only wanted what was best for the family as a whole._

_"Yes Master Splinter."_

* * *

Leo was knocked out of his reminiscing as yet another big bag fell on top of him. This time it was a hockey bag and it felt like it was stuffed full of heavy equipment.

_'Why the heck is someone bringing hockey gear to Central America anyway?'_ He hissed to himself as he roughly tossed the bag off to the side.

Finally giving up the fight in trying to rest, he instead tried to do a little meditation since it wouldn't belong now until the plane started it's decent. The blue banded turtle tried to hold onto a peaceful state of mind but found his thoughts still distracted by the goodbyes he had said only hours ago.

Mikey of course had gotten a bit teary-eyed but vehemently denied it, claiming to have gotten pizza sauce in his eye earlier. Donnie had made Leo vow to write and in return pledged to watch out for Mikey and Raph in his absence. Leo had received both fond hugs goodbye from his brothers and Splinter's blessing. Raph however, hadn't even come out of his room and Leo had to say his goodbyes to a closed door. The last thing he wanted to do was to leave things like that with his brother, but he had to leave or risk missing his flight.

Sneaking into the baggage hold of the plane had been embarrassingly easy, simple even. Airport security should be disgusted with itself even if he was a ninja. Leo was shaken from his attempt at meditation as the plane shuddered around him and his ears popped. The plane was beginning to lower and he was arriving in his new temporary home. With a jolt the plane landed roughly, skidding from side to side and nearly sending Leo toppling. Leo shouldered his small rucksack of essentials and double checked the double katanas sheathed over his back before moving into the deeper shadows.

The airport here was much less crowded and less brightly lit than the one back in New York. He waited until the plane had come to a complete rest before slipping out through a small space where the landing gear came out. The air was different here; cleaner, more humid, and somehow _greener._ Just like he was trained he slipped away from the airport like a shadow and into the jungle.

Damn, he missed his family already.

* * *

Further away and deeper into the wild of the jungle amongst the massive trees, a different shadow lay in wait. Of course the several poachers that this spectre was waiting for had a small idea what was lying in wait for them. They stared at the empty, triggered and ruined traps; each and every one that they had planted in this area was stacked into a tangled pile of metal. The piggy-looking, dark skinned leader of this particular poaching group swore in Spanish and kicked the waist high pile over.

"Damn that Patasola! If it wasn't for that demon we'd be rich by now!"

The other men shifted nervously. They'd spent months in these jungles and had hardly caught so much as a hair of anything. Each and every trap and snare they set was triggered or set off without an animal even stepping near it. Then the traps started getting set for them. They would walk into pits they hadn't dig or find themselves tripped by wires on the hiking trails they used. While they slept their equipment and vehicles would be sabotaged. Even if someone kept watch all night, in the morning their things would be either ruined or gone. Every time something would happen they would whisper about the patasola, the one-legged demon of the jungle.

"Y-you don't really believe in that evil spirit do ya boss?" A particularly twitchy man with a shotgun stuttered apprehensively while scanning the trees.

"Of course not, you imbecile! Patasola is just a myth made by those stupid villagers." The dark skinned boss spat.

"Is that so? The villagers are calling me a patasola? It's a bit insulting, but oddly accurate I suppose." A young feminine voice echoed through the small clearing, making men jump and whip around in frantic search of its source.

"Who is there? Come out now or we will shoot!" The leader shouldered his gun and his men followed suit, raising their guns and machetes threateningly. The only problem was that they still couldn't spot their target in the dark shadows of jungle fauna. A ghostly laugh rang thorough the humid air and the men twisted around like tops, unconsciously spreading out in the process and making themselves better targets.

It wasn't until it was too late for them that the dark skinned leader noticed the feeling of being watched on the back of his neck. Purely on instinct he whipped around and caught a glimpse of a pair of bright green eyes, which were practically glowing in the dim moonlight. With a startled shout he raised his gun and, without aiming, fired off a wild shot. The eyes vanished in an instant as several guns were fired blindly into the undergrowth. For several seconds after the canopy of gunfire the jungle was silent, as if holding its breath, waiting.

Without warning and from a completely unexpected direction, above, three arrows rained down and scattered the confused poachers. A few of the more cowardly men wisely chose to drop their guns and blades and run, they were left alone by their attacker. One of the other men raised his firearm to shoot at the tree tops, but before he could pull the trigger a tree vine snapped down like a whip to yank it from his grasp and crack him across the face with it.

Confused and scattered the men had no chance to retaliate as a cloaked figure with a bow jumped into their midst. One brave (or foolish) thin man with a large hunting knife rushed the crouched figure ,only to be tossed through the air and collide with two others. Another man tried to raise his gun to fire, even though he was more likely to hit one of his comrades than the shadowy presence. The spectre's hand shot out and gripped the barrel slamming it back into the man's face with enough force to break his nose and knock him unconscious. The man dropped like a limp sack of potatoes. The dark skinned boss's face twisted into a snarl as he rounded on the two remaining men.

"Kill it!"

All three men rushed forward with their fists and knifes, hoping to swarm the shadow. The dark figure ducked the punch aimed at its face and swiftly kicked the dark skinned leaders kneecap, knocking him back with a half scream of pain. The other two men were quickly dropped with a kick to the neither regions and a punch to the throat. The leader looked up into a pair of dangerously gleaming green eyes and an arrowhead pointed at his face. His breath froze in his chest and his eyes widened in surprise and fear.

"P-p-please demon! Don't kill me!"

The emerald eyes narrowed and the bow creaked as the arrow was pulled even tauter. The shadow hissed lowly in a venomous voice.

"Leave the jungle and villages alone, or _else_, and be sure to tell your boss that."

The fingers on the string of the bow loosened, releasing the arrow. With a sweep of its dark cloak the green eyed figure vanished back into the jungle undergrowth. The dark skinned leader opened his eyes still shaking in fear of the arrow that had grazed his cheek and was still quivering beside his head. It wasn't long before the whispers, both thankful and fearful, of the patasola in the jungle strengthened. Mostly because each and every poacher could confirm with certainty, that the dark shadow that attacked them only had one leg.

* * *

**It's short I know, but I like to think it's of fairly good quality for a first chapter. What are your thoughts on Leo's leaving home? Who is the figure that attacked the poachers? Can't be Leo right? After all he just arrived and the villagers seem convinced that the 'patasola' only has one leg. Hmmm… I wonder… actually no, I don't, because I already know what I'm going to write. XD For any of you wondering what a patasola is you can either go back to the top and read what I've decribed or look it up for yourself. Anyway, Please read and review and answer some of the questions above plz!**


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